Never-ending road construction. Non-stop traffic. Noise, crowds, congestion, litter (oh, the annoying litter)…and the seeming obsession to cut down trees. Truthfully, this is what comes to mind if I were asked to describe a drive through my county. I have said – way more often than has ever been necessary – that I do not live in the prettiest part of the country. I may or may not be guilty of complaining or whining not only about the traffic, construction and tree removal…but also of having to live here. (Even writing it, I am again convicted about my attitude and discontent, but that is for another post!)
Often, as I scroll through Instagram, I find myself dreaming of mountain views, wide-open spaces, or even acres of farmland and fields of corn out my back door! I’m pretty sure I would be a terrible farmer but a misty morning greeted by cute cow faces and a frolicking farm dog often seems magical to me:) Farmer or not, I find myself wanting to get out to the country – which I did yesterday with some friends. We drove to the mountains and picked apples at a local orchard. It was a wonderful day. Not a cow to be seen but wide-open spaces and mountain views for miles. Definitely a place to breathe! And my soul did breathe it all in. I could physically feel my body relax and my spirit refresh.
Here is the confession. Even as I was driving home, I found myself feeling frustrated and annoyed. The discontentment – the “I so need to live somewhere else” feeling – seems to chase me!! And, here is the truth. Literally next to my neighborhood – with its rows of houses and streets lined with too many cars – is a dairy farm. Rolling hills dotted with cows. Yes, cute cows:) They are in my backyard! Not literally but quite practically. And, honestly, often when I breathe on my porch, I am reminded they are there. But, I miss it.
My focus is on what I want to see. My discontentment is validated because I can easily find – and focus – on what I do not like. On the negative. Friend, the applications from that truth are endless. We can do the same in so many areas but this is a five-minute post (for FMF)…and I do not have the time to pinpoint every area. But I was challenged and convicted. Perhaps you will be as well. But spend today looking for the beauty, the sweetness, and God’s good gifts today. The ones that are right in your neighborhood – maybe right in front of you!! Don’t drive right by them, like me, but purposely notice them. Appreciate them. Even breathe deep and take it all in!!
Hi Jennifer, good post on discontent entry and our attitudes!
Thanks much. Preaching to myself (so thought I would share)!
love this mental picture and reminder to close our eyes and breathe in where we want to be even when we can’t be there.
Oh…so many places I would love to be! Do you think we will be free “to go” some day again??
This post struck home with me. I am craving change, we had a holiday in the most beautiful part of the country a few weeks back and since then I feel disconnected from my world. The openess the farmland the green all made sense now I feel claustrophobic in my own town.
Hi Sara – I’m so glad you stopped by and took the time to comment. Boy do I ever feel claustrophobic at times (lots of times)! So good you had a chance for holiday and were able to go away. What a treat!
Girl you’re speaking my language here. I get in a negative head space sometimes and it’s so hard to pull myself out of it. I have to remind myself to look at life through a positive lens and everything seems better.
The lens we choose to use does make all the difference, doesn’t it? Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!
You know Jen, don’t be too hard on yourself. I think when we belong to the Father of all creation, we long for, and look for that city….you know the one!
Oh yes I do – and I am longing for home…to be sure!!
I, too, am challenged and convicted. Thank you for this post.
Amie, FMF #13
Thanks, Amie. I’m glad you stopped by today!
You made me laugh with your comment about how breathing on the porch reminds you that there are cows nearby. I used to live in a place where the family directly across the street from us had cows. Frankly, I love the smell of both cows and horses, but I definitely know what you mean. And I too have had to battle discontent with where I now live. But God is opening my eyes to the blessings while kindly reminding me to quiet my disquiet. -Visiting from FMF #14
Thanks, Angela. I definitely need to keep working at quieting my disquiet (love that phrase)! Have a blessed weekend!
I love this! I often need this reminder too, just to open my eyes to blessings that I may be overlooking.
Hi Callie. I’m glad you stopped by – nice to meet you:) I wonder just how many blessings I walk past/drive by every day? Goodness!
Please don’t get me started on cutting down trees 😉 your so right in our discontentment we often miss everything we already have in front of us. Such a good reminder. Loretta fmf#4
Last month, I posted about my long struggle with discontentment, especially in regard to where I live. After spending a couple of decades being miserable and longing to live somewhere else, I learned to be content. God didn’t move me from Boise, Idaho, but he gave me joy and contentment living here. (Even so, I complain regularly about the exploding growth going on right now and all the land being gobbled up with condos, houses, and apartments.) I truly understand the struggle you describe here.
Love,
Patti
I lived once in a city,
a grim, benighted place;
my time there was not pretty
so I moved to outer space.
Not the kind where dwells the moon,
but a plateau in the desert hills
with a lot of breathing room
and space for solitudin’ skills,
for there are some days that pass
when I see no human soul,
neither bonny lad nor lass,
and at first it took a toll
but God’s now found for me a use
as a sunburned mad recluse.
“My focus is on what I want to see.” Oh my, yes, so true! Thanks for this great reminder. (Karen FMF #7)
Glad you stopped by, Karen…and thanks for your comment!! Enjoyed your blog today as well!
My sweet friend, as I told you this morning, I had forgotten or never realized that you lived in Colorado. Ha!! I don’t know why but I was thinking your lived on the east coast…Virginia or North Carolina.
I love El Paso but it is certainly not for everyone. And there are days that I would love to see a tree or two, to enjoy a whole afternoon of rain. But then I take a minute to look at our mountains and I realize there’s nowhere I would rather be. Glad you were able to take a day trip to the orchard with friends. And then glad you were able to return home to see the dairy farm in your own backyard.
Well, Leslie, you were right! I do live in Virginia!:) Not sure where the confusion came from…or the thoughts of Colorado! Have lived on this East Coast all my life!! Yes, the orchard was nice. The apple peeling was not nearly as fun – but I got a couple tasty treats!! I hope you have a wonderful week…maybe a little break in the hot weather! Glad you stopped by the blog!
I think we are all guilty of wishing and wanting what we don’t have! Much as I love the open countryside, I know that I would not cope at all well with living in the middle of nowhere. I’m pretty lucky that I live on the edge of a small town, with a supermarket, chemist, newsagent and fish and chip shop within 10 minutes walk, and doctors, dentists, and more larger retail shops within 10 minutes drive. In the other direction, I am 5 minutes walk from the open countryside and a beautiful Country Park. So I do feel that I have the best of both worlds. Doesn’t stop me moaning sometimes about queues of traffic to get into the multi storey car park or any routes out of town at the time of the school run though!
Sounds pretty perfect to me:) Just lovely!! Glad you stopped by, Deb! Have a wonderful week ahead!!